Windows Mobile 6.5 Officially Released for Samsung Epix

Download Page

Samsung has FINALLY released Windows Mobile 6.5 for the Samsung Epix.

I have yet to install it, but hizhonor at HoFo reports:

• Fixes GPS issue
• Smoother operation that using Trashcan’s ROM

Things to note before upgrading to Windows Mobile 6.5

• Back up everything on your Samsung Epix you don’t want lost. Upgrading will delete all the files on your phone.
• There does not appear to be an official means for rolling back to Windows Mobile 6.1. If you decide to upgrade to Windows Mobile 6.5 you are most likely stuck with Windows Mobile 6.5.
• Windows 7 users: Run the installer in “Vista Compatibility Mode”

If you try the update, leave a comment about your experience!

(Picture of Samsung.com’s new Samsung Epix software support download options)

Samsung March 25, 2010 Multipatch ID1 an accident

Samsung replied to my inquiry regarding  Multipatch ID1 patch download with a March 25, 2010 release date on their Web site. Apparently Samsung upgraded their file server which updated the timestamp on their server. Below is Samsung’s official response:

Thank you for your inquiry. The two files that are dated March 25, 2010 are the original ID1 update. The server the ID1 upgrade is hosted on was changed and this changed the date on the file postings, by default.

We sincerely apologize for any confusion this has caused.

Concerning the release of Windows Mobile 6.5 for the Epix, unfortunately, we are unable to speculate when this software revision might be available due to the fact that this might lead to inaccurate information and confusion.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this presents. Please feel free to check back periodically for updates.

Sorry to get everyones hopes up!

Samsung Multipatch ID1 Update (March 25, 2010) a dud?

Note: This is NOT a Windows Mobile 6.5 Update.

UPDATE 2: Samsung has confirmed this is the old May 2009 ID1 update. Do not bother installing this patch.

UPDATE 1: keff found a post on xda-developers.com where the poster performed a btye-diff on this patch installer and the original May, 2009 ID1 Update installer and says they are exactly the same. If this is the case this patch is no different than ID1 patch that broke GPS functionality.  I am waiting back to hear from Samsung regarding their official stance on this patch release.

I recommend not applying the patch.

My Experience

• GPS satellite lock still taking a long time
• After running app the uses GPS, device.exe process stays at 60%+ CPU utilization
• GPS apps drain battery more quickly than they would otherwise
• No SLOG dumps yet

Again, I recommend not applying this patch as Samsung has confirmed its a a re-release of the May 2009 ID1 patch.

For those of you that want to install this patch for some reason, please read this post to see what the ID1 patch does.

If people have comments on experiences installing and using the update, please post in the comments!

Official Windows Mobile 6.5 in April 2010?

View Microsoft.com page

Update: Revised timing on the MS Web site indicates a April 2010. I don’t know if i should laugh or cry.

Microsoft’s Windows Phone Web site reports we might be seeing an official Windows Mobile 6.5 release as early as February 2010. It not a done deal yet as we’ll have to wait on Samsung and AT&T to play nice.. and its still undetermined if a an official upgrade will fix all of the Epix’s issues, or if it’ll be a lot more like Trashcan’s unofficial release of Windows 6.5 for the Epix.

..and it wouldn’t be an Epix upgrade without the fine print:

* Not all models of these phones will be updatable. Check with your mobile operator to determine update availability.

** Dates provided by our partners and are subject to change. Update availability not guaranteed.

Samsung Epix gets the official Windows Mobile 6.5 nod

View link

Microsoft officially announced the Samsung Epix will get official Windows Mobile 6.5 support. There is no official word yet of when, but I suspect late October/early November of 2009.  [Edit] It’s a Samsung Epix Update, what was I thinking? New reports indicate possibly in Feb 2010.

If trashcan’s unofficial Windows Mobile 6.5 releases are any indication of what the official release will look like, Epix owners are in for for a real treat.

Lets just hope in this upgrade Samsung can fix the problems with the GPS, notifications and audio cut-outs.  We may finally have a stable phone after everything is said and done.

Even if this isn’t a silver bullet fix for all of the problems that plague the Epix, it’s a step in the right direction.

A Frustrated Epix User's Saga

Jason K. wrote to MySamsungEpix.com with his experience dealing with AT&T over his frustrations with the Samsung Epix. His e-mail does a wonderful job of highlighting the Epix’s problems and what AT&T is willing to do to resolve these issues.

Big thanks to Jason for the write up, please feel free to leave your own experiences in the comments if you got fed up with the Epix and how/if AT&T was able to help you resolve your issues. Comments on how to trade in your Epix for a different phone after 30 days are of particular interest.

Click to read my story of how AT&T replaced my Epix for a HTC Fuze.

Jason wrote:

I’ve had my Epix since late April. Like many, I had issues with notifications and the ascending ring. Your website helped me with the ascending ring “fix” until Samsung finally released ID1. And like many, I’ve had issues since ID1.

• GPS would take a long time to get an initial fix, then would be good until the next soft reset
• Battery would drain like crazy after using GPS, unless I did a soft rest (damned if I did, damned if I didn’t!)
• Since I don’t use GPS often on this phone, those problems didn’t bother me. However, this new audio issue really killed me. For no reason, the phone’s audio would just stop working. I couldn’t hear the phone ring, or music from Windows Media player, etc. Removing the battery was the only fix, and after doing so, the audio would still go out. Sometimes after 5 minutes, other times after 2 days, regardless, it would happen again.

So, I decided to call AT&T’s warranty services (1-800-801-1101). The process was clean. Simply have ready the IMEI number (located on the phone box, or under the battery) and the color of the water damage indicator (should be a little white square above the battery, but under the battery cover). AT&T will ship a refurbished phone to you at their expense, and provide you everything you need to ship the faulty phone back to them, also at their expense. I did this and went through 6 (yes, SIX!!!) refurb Epix(es) in about two weeks. Here’s what I’ve learned, and there is hope for Epix users.

• All refurbs came pre-installed with ID1 (check this by typing *#1234#)
• Not all phones suffer from the GPS issues. I had 2 refurbs that got a near instant lock on the first try, even after another reset.
• Battery drain after GPS usage is still there on all phones.
• My audio issues were there on every phone, and although my current one hasn’t exhibited it yet, I’ve only been using this one for about 6 hours.
• Some Epix(es) were faster than others. I had one that was very sluggish when using SPB Mobile shell 3.0.1, and a pair that were very fast. The one I’m using now has instant response to touches, and I’m not sure I want to give it up, even if it does end up having the audio issues.
• On your 3rd attempt at a refurb, AT&T will offer to swap your Epix out for any of the following at no cost to you; Blackberry Bold, HTC Fuze, or Nokia E71x. The Nokia is considerably cheaper than the Epix, but the other two are considered to be superior phones. So many Epix users might consider it worth a shot. The Samsung Jack as of this time hasn’t been out long enough to be offered as a warranty replacement, and likely won’t be until November or December.
• If you refuse one of those phones, and elect to take another Epix (as I did), they’ll still offer you those phones after every refurb attempt.
• Also after 3 refurb attempts (AND 6 months of active service with AT&T), you can ask to be referred to an account cancellation rep, who will offer you a new phone at the 2-year contract price, any phone of your choice EXCEPT iPhone. Normally, you’d have to wait 20 months for this.

For me, I decided that none of those phones are ideal for my needs, though the E71x would have been, had AT&T not gimped it. So I’m working a BBB complaint against AT&T for not allowing me to switch out my phone within the first 30 days as their policy allows. But hopefully current Epix owners can use my experience to swap out their faulty post-ID1 Epix for one with a snappier UI or GPS, or another phone entirely. If I can get off of my contract, I’ll likely just go month to month with an unlocked E71 or E72. The nice thing about those unlocked phones is that you can get the unlimited data plan for $15/month rather than the usual $30.

- J

Windows Mobile 6.5 unofficially available for Samsung Epix

Windows Mobile 6.5 has been unofficially released for the Samsung Epix.Windows Mobile 6.5 is the next release of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system and with the intent of creating a more finger-friendly (touchscreens are becoming all the rage and styluses are archaic) interface. As far as I understand the changes to Windows Mobile 6.5 focus on aesthetics and usability, rather than changing the unpinning structure of Windows Mobile (that’s what Windows Mobile 7 aka Microsoft Phone will do… I hope).

Anyhow, here are a couple screens of Windows Mobile 6.5 running on my Samsung Epix. Below I’ll explain how to install Windows Mobile 6.5 on your Samsung Epix, along with some of the known issues.

Things to note before installing Windows Mobile 6.5

• This install is UNOFFICIAL. Neither Microsoft, Samsung, or AT&T support Windows Mobile 6.5 on the Samsung Epix.
• BACKUP ALL YOUR DATA! This upgrade will ERASE your phone (contacts, files, messages, emails, etc).
• You can revert back to Windows Mobile 6.1 after upgrading to Windows Mobile 6.5 (thought I haven’t tried).
  • Reflash your Epix using Trashcan’s Clean Windows Mobile 6.1 ROM
  • Re-update using Samsung’s ID1 Update (this will have the negative effects on your GPS, if you’ve already upgraded to ID1 then all the damage has already been done)
• It is possible something could go wrong during the upgrade and you could brick your Samsung Epix. Perform this upgrade at your own risk!
• There are still some bugs with this ROM.
• All this being said, I’ve installed this update and have been using it for a week – and my Samsung Epix seems to be more stable that before.
• Read through the official forum at xda-developers.com
• Watch Tom Beauchamp’s video of Windows Mobile 6.5 on the Samsung Epix

Installation Instructions

A fellow that goes by the name of trashcan cooked up a Windows Mobile 6.5 ROM that mostly works with the Samsung Epix.

You will need a Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 (all versions must be 32-bit, I couldn’t get 64-bit Win 7 to work).

Download the following files:

• Windows Mobile 6.5 build 23017 15MB page pool BIN (Mirror 1)
  • Check the first post of this thread for newer BIN versions
  • Microsoft contacted me and told me to take PDA6.5_15mbPP.bin of mysamsungepix.com
• USDL GrandPrix v1.6.4 (Windows XP/Vista/Win 7) (Mirror 1) (Mirror 2, XP) (Mirror 2, Vista)

1. Verify that your Samsung Epix can connect to your Windows computer via USB. You should be able to browse your Samsung Epix in My Computer > Mobile Device and/or make a successful connection via ActiveSync. If you cannot do this, the GrandPrix program most likely will not see your Epix.
2. Turn off your Samsung Epix, but it connected to your Windows computer via USB.
3. Start USDL GrandPrix (Windows 7 users run the Vista version)
4. Under “Select a profile” choose “GRANDPRIX LV image”
5. Click the “PDA” button and locate the Windows Mobile 6.5 BIN file.
6. Press the Detect button in USDL GrandPrix
7. Power on your Samsung Epix
8. Wait for the process to full complete (mine idled at “Writing Dummy CSC Header” so I moved to the next step and everything was fine).
9. Power off your Samsung Epix (may require a battery pull if your CSC Headers hang).
10. Power on your Samsung Epix.
11. The first “boot” of your Samsung Epix may take a while (up to 5 minutes) so don’t panic if your phone seems unresponsive at the orange Windows Mobile screen – be patient.
12. Complete the Windows Mobile 6.5 setup wizard and voila – Windows Mobile 6.5 on the Samsung Epix.

Check out this shoddy screencast I made of me updating to Windows Mobile 6.5 if you’re still confused.

Known Issues with Windows Mobile 6.5 build 23017

• Exchange Calendar does not sync. Selecting the Calendar to sync will break your ActiveSync connection with your exchange server. Fixed with update to build 23017 w/ 15MB page pool
• Mouse pointer sometimes produces visual artifacts. I don’t use the mouse, I use 4-way, so I move the mouse cursor to the lower-left corner of the screen so only the tip of the arrow is showing and switch to 4-way (Fn-N on the Today screen) which makes this a non-issue for me.
• GPS is still messed up from ID1 update (after using GPS, your battery life will quickly run out)
• Read through Trashcan’s thread on xda-developers.com

Samsung Epix ID1 Software Update

Windows Mobile 6.5 Update: Do NOT install this update if you are going to update to Windows Mobile 6.5. This ID1 update will break your GPS radio (using GPS will drain you battery quickly).

Windows XP Installation Instructions

Windows Vista Installation Instructions

Samsung Epix ID1 Update Overview

Samsung has released the ID1 Update, an update to the Samsung FOTA update, and so far it looks like a great so-so release.

The Samsung Epix ID1 Software Update fixes the following problems:

• ”Slog Dump” Fix: On certain circumstances, the Samsung Epix may report a “Slog Dump” error message. This software provides an update to the network layer which prevents the problem from occurring.
• Missed Email Audio Notifications: A previously released cab file for notifications is included in ID1. This enables the Samsung Epix to provide audible notifications alerts for your emails when the device enters an unattended power saving mode.
• Outlook Notes SSP Support: The update contains the ability to synchronize the popular Notes feature available within Microsoft Outlook.
• Ascending Ringtone: Ringtone behavior design was set to ascending/escalating volume during inbound call regardless of setting specified. With this update, the handset will act in accordance to the volume settings selected.

This Samsung Epix ID1 Update  also resolves (and doesn’t introduce) issues that the Samsung Epix FOTA Update introduced:

• No freezing when making an outgoing calls.
• Incoming calls are not incorrectly sent straight to voicemail.

Possible new issues

• Some users report inability to use GPS with Google Maps, Garmin XT or MS Live Search – however many, including myself have no problems with this.
• Some users report a decrease in battery life after using GPS. I have noticed this. After using GoogleMaps or Windows Live/Bing – your battery will be dead in a couple hours. If you do use GPS apps, i suggest restarting your Epix immediately after running them.
• My ring sound for phone calls recently disappeared (it worked for several weeks after the update?) I assume a factory-reset would fix this.
• I still get intermittent freezes, but less than before.

---

My Experience

I updated my Samsung Epix using this method about 1 week ago and my Samsung Epix is MUCH more stable now. I previously had daily lock-ups where I had to pop the battery out to reset my Epix .. now I have them less frequently.

A couple things to note:

• I upgraded using a computer runinng Windows XP SP2.
• I had to switch my Samsung Epix’s USB Connection back to ActiveSync (from Modem) before the Updater would connect to my phone.
• My upgrade process froze at the very end during “Change USB OK“. I disconnected the USB cable and restarted my Samsung Epix and everything was fine.
  • It turns out if your Update fails during “Change USB OK”, the OS Update is applied, but the updates to the radio (the device in your phone that lets you communicate with AT&T’s network, not an AM/FM radio ) didn’t happen. Pgens offers some suggestions on how to fix this in the comments.
  • I had some time today and performed the Samsung Epix ID1 Update again in hopes that the Change USB OK issue would be resolved.I ran the SGH-i907 updater per the instructions and this time the update ran to completion. If your updater halted at Change USB OK, i suggest closing all other applications including your web browser and re-running the ID1 updater.
  • I did some testing on my backup Epix, and strangely enough the update would fail at “Change USB OK” when I had Web browser running. If I closed every application running except for the Updater itself, it seemed to work.
• Make sure to backup all information saved on your Samsung Epix before performing the update (data on your SIM or SD Card is safe).
• My GPS is working correctly in Google Maps post update  - I haven’t tried any other applications the use GPS yet. Some users report they cannot use GPS post-update (See the comments).

Read through the comments – There are some people that feel this Update ruined their Epix. I think it made my Epix better (prior to the update it wholey unreliable).

If you perform the update and feel that the phone is unusable, the only way to revert back it so send the phone to Samsung Support (which can take up to 10 business days).

Samsung Epix FOTA Update

UPDATE: Use the Samsung Epix ID1 Update instead of the Samsung Epix FOTA Update.

---

I’ve been debating posting about this update for a week or so now since the AT&T forums are rife with outrage over the problems the update is causing.

Samsung has released a second update for he Samsung Epix that fixes a whole slew of issues and is a must have for any Samsung Epix owner.

This update, known as the Samsung Epix FOTA (Firmware Over-The-Air) Update in the community, is only available by calling AT&T at 1-800-331-0500 and requesting they send the update directly to your phone.

This update fixes:

• No more SLOG dump messages
• HSDPA (3G) will not allow for faster data transfer rates
• E-mail notification alerts even when asleep
• No more ascending ring
• Outlook Notes sync via Activesync

Things that are newly broken:

• Many people report their Samsung Epix randomly freezing for approximately a minute when trying to dial. Please note that there are people that report not having any problems after the Update.

Things to know if you plan on updating:

• This update is permanent and cannot be undone.
• It is reported that a Hard Reset (erases all data stored on the phone) is needed after update to decrease quirky behavior.
• When calling AT&T and the rep doesn’t know what you’re talking about, reference AT&T Knowledge Document: KB102268.

I have yet to update my Samsung Epix because 1) I haven’t wanted to deal with the hassle of calling AT&T and 2) the freezing issue sounds like it could be a real nuisance.

Anyhow – i’ll leave the descision up to each of you. Here are some good resource to read over before taking the plunge.

• Instructions on how to get AT&T to send you the FOTA Update
• AT&T forum thread discussing the FOTA Update
• AT&T Knowledge Base Document discussing the update

HTC Ringtones

Download

Storm717 over at HoFo put together a CAB file of a bunch of HTC ringtones.

Do watch out, if you’re directly downloading this file to your Samsung Epix and don’t have unlimited data — this CAB file is 5MB!

I like “normal” ringtones, so my favorites are Ring-Generic 1 through 4 and Ring-Old Phone 1 and 2.

Again, big thanks to Storm717 for putting this together!